Warriors take fourth place | Baseball

The Edmonds-Woodway baseball team matched its best finish in school history.

The Warriors brought home a fourth place 3A state trophy after advancing to the final four for the second straight year.

Edmonds-Woodway (16-11) lost 5-4 to Kelso in a state semifinal game on Friday, May 25, and then fell 10-0 to Eastside Catholic in the third/fourth place contest on Saturday, May 26, at GESA Stadium in Pasco.

“It was a tough weekend,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Dan Somoza said. “That first game was really close. It could have gone either way. … I’m very proud of the guys and how far we came.”

With the scored tied at 4 in the bottom in the seventh inning, the Warriors lost when they issued a bases-loaded walk. Kelso’s first two batters were hit by pitches. Following a sacrifice bunt, an intentional walk loaded the bases.

“It was a tough way to lose,” Somoza said. “There is no good way to lose. … It was back and forth. It was a really good game.”

The disappointment at the semifinal loss appeared to carry over to Saturday’s contest with Eastside Catholic.

“We didn’t come out firing on all cylinders on day two,” Somoza said.

The Warriors were able to get every player into the final game of the season. Somoza appreciated how Edmonds-Woodway came together this year and made another lengthy postseason run.

“It’s not about individuals. It’s about the team,” he said. “It’s about the journey. We should be proud of making it back to the final four.”

Even with a major overhaul of the starting lineup, the Warriors ended up finishing second in the Wesco 3A South and second at districts.

“This group was resilient,” Somoza said.

Players such as seniors Julian Kodama and Jalil Marinez and junior Ian Michael helped lead the Warriors to an upset of No. 1 ranked Mercer Island in the state regional playoffs.

Edmonds-Woodway graduates six seniors, five of whom were starters.

“We have a great tradition going,” Somoza said. “I feel the underclassmen are ready to step up. That’s what you need to do to keep winning.”

Somoza added that he thinks the Warriors are close to being able to push through to the championship game.